1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in pans and griddles used separately or in combination to improve the heating characteristics and versatility of use thereof.
2) Background of the Invention
Many utensils and other devices have been developed in the past in order to improve the user's ability to prepare food. More specifically, many utensils designed specifically for the heating of food under desired conditions in order to have the heated food result in a desired food product, have also been developed. A particular device which has been found useful for such purposes over the past several hundred years is the Dutch oven.
The Dutch oven generally consists of a deep dish pan, usually formed of cast iron, and a tight, usually cast iron, cover therefor. The pan usually includes legs on the bottom surface thereof in order that it may be easily placed over coals of a fire or the like, and a semi-circular handle to facilitate its placement and removal therefrom. The lid is usually slightly concave and has a small rim which encircles the entire perimeter thereof and a small loop-type handle in its center. The rim of the lid is intended make possible the addition of hot coals or the like to the top of the lid if it is desired to more uniformly heat the food located in the oven.
Although the Dutch oven is very useful in preparing food in the coals of a fire, it becomes less useful when used in conjunction with more modern types of heat sources commonly used in cooking food. For example, the Dutch oven yields less than favorable results when heated by an electric plate or gas type stove. The design of such stoves makes it impossible to uniformly heat the interior of the Dutch oven as per the Dutch oven's original design.
There have been recent attempts to modify the traditional Dutch oven in order to improve its heating characteristics when used with more modern or convenient heat sources. Such prior art modifications to a Dutch oven generally include design changes to the bottom thereof which allow heat to circulate within the interior of the Dutch oven in a more efficient manner. An example of such prior art devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 77,884 to Isham.
The device shown by Isham is designed to be placeable on the top of a stove and has a removable bottom to regulate the heat. Also, perforated disks at various heights above the bottom of the oven allow heat to pass into the cooking area and circulate therein.
Other examples of cooking devices having heatcirculating bottoms specifically designed for heat flow into the interior cooking area thereof are shown in Danish Patent No. 57723 to Fabrik, Netherlands Patent No. 7903034 to Schawalder, Danish Patent No. 70051 to Grosserer, German Patent No. 537638 to Albrecht, and Italian Patent No. 560937 to Buracchio. Each of these patents shows a modification to the bottom of a Dutch oven type cooking device in order to allow heat to circulate from the bottom thereof into the interior cooking area in order to more evenly cook food therein.
Each of these devices, however, has been less than satisfactory in its design and performance characteristics. Specifically, each of these prior art devices is extraordinarily complicated in its design, making manufacture thereof difficult and expensive. Also, the prior art designs have been less than satisfactory in their ability to properly circulate the correct amount of heat, so as to evenly distribute heat into the interior of the pan for cooking the food. Further, none of these prior art devices addresses the unique combination of the present invention wherein a deep pan may be used to evenly heat and cook food while at the same time a griddle may be used as a pan lid and also be evenly heated by the unique shape of the pan bottom so that the griddle may be used to heat or cook food thereon while food is being heated or cooked in the pan itself.
Further, prior art devices such as described above have been relatively difficult to maneuver by means of the prior art handles used therewith. The present invention solves this problem also by providing a unique combination of handles which allows for stability in manipulating the griddle so as to prevent an uneven distribution of food from causing the griddle to tip sideways when being removed from the pan. Further, the handles of the present invention can be attached to the pan and griddle by locking devices which allow the handles to be rotated when not in use but cause the handle to lock in its upright position when in use to prevent relative rotation of the handle and the pan or griddle to prevent spilling of the contents when the device is lifted.